The 49ers are in midseason form in their 2023 debuts, while three first-time QB starters fittingly appear to be in rookie form.
played perhaps the worst game of his career, finishing 14-for-31 for 81 yards and no touchdowns. Burrow, a perennial MVP candidate, was actually pulled late in the fourth quarter as the Browns put the finishing touches on their rout in the rain.
It was by far the worst passing game of Burrow’s career; all told, Cincinnati managed just six first downs and finished 2-for-15 on third down. That’ll get you beat against anybody in this league, especially“This isn’t the team that we are going to be,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “We all understand that.”
It likely won’t be. An ugly Week 1 loss isn’t anything to overreact to. Burrow missed most of training camp while he recovered from a calf injury. The Bengals have started slow before and recovered There’s no reason to panic. Still, it was stunning to see one of the league’s premier teams — and one of its premier players — get absolutely handled in this fashion., like his predecessor, was more ready than anyone realized.